White Throat

Description

Looking out over an ebb tide from the back verandah was like watching God paint stripes... Disgraced former lawyer Clementine Jones is on the shores of paradise-Queensland's Great Sandy Straits-trying to outrun her past. Bored with her house-sitting gig, she becomes a reluctant recruit to the local environmental group, campaigning to save an endangered turtle as developers close in. Then a body is found at the base of a quarry, and Clem's world is turned upside down. The police say suicide. Clem's convinced it was murder. She also knows she's the only one interested in tracking down the killer. Well, the only one apart from her friend Torrens, ex-con and reformed standover man. And he's got his own fight on his hands.

Sarah cast off the lines to her legal career not long after being declared Australian Corporate Lawyer of the Year in 2016. These days she's something of a vagabond, choosing to live on a sailboat with her husband, Dean, writing novels, enjoying everything this big blue planet has to offer and chasing an endless summer. Her Clementine Jones series, which chronicles the crime-busting adventures of a fierce and feisty former lawyer, has been twice shortlisted for the Australian Crime Writers Association Ned Kelly Awards and received a starred Kirkus review. The most recent instalment, White Throat, was released in December 2020.

'Clementine Jones is a heroine for our times: fierce, feisty and fallible.' * Candice Fox * 'Lapse is paced like a suspenseful footy match, scoring goals right up to the final siren. Unexpected twists and turns will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the end. Fans of rural crime, the likes of Jane Harper and Sarah Bailey, will enjoy this book.' * Books+Publishing on Lapse * 'Lapse is a well-paced and absorbing thriller.' * West Weekend on Lapse * 'A rip-roaring tale that addresses weighty issues head-on...Thornton interweaves all this with on-field action, a combination that propels the story forward addictively and will leave readers eager to read the next installment of this new series. A riveting thriller with a heroine willing to get her hands dirty to find the answers she seeks.' * Kirkus Reviews on Lapse * 'Clem Jones is back with a vengeance. New town, different villains, but same dogged pursuit and badass bravado.' * Candice Fox * 'Thornton delivers another pacey thriller filled with hot button issues.' * Pile by the Bed * 'Sarah Thornton's second crime novel featuring Clementine Jones, is as compulsive as her first, Lapse...both are well crafted, exciting, and entertaining reads. I'm already looking forward to the next.' * Book'd Out * '[Thornton's] scene-setting is vividly descriptive.' * Debbish * 'White Throat is riveting mystery with a clever storyline and likable lead protagonist...Old and new fans will enjoy this newest addition to the Clementine Jones series.' * Book Reviews & More * '[White Throat] makes a great summer afternoon escape.' * L.J.M Owen, Sisters in Crime * 'Clementine Jones is a great character-clever, resourceful, determined...[Sarah Thornton] has delivered another fast-paced crime thriller anchored around a flawed and engaging heroine.' * The Blurb * 'Crisply composed, unspooling with finely judged pace and suspense. A good bet for anyone casting about for a new Australian crime series.' * Sydney Morning Herald * 'White Throat is not only thrilling reading but also a timely reminder of the threat to Australia's endangered native species from greedy vested interests.' * Canberra Times * 'Thornton delivers an engaging, action-packed tale with a good touch for setting.' * NZ Listener * 'There is humour in every encounter Clementine has, partly created by her own healthy disrespect for conventional boundaries. Doors and rules create only trifling obstacles. The canine cast are equally entertaining and thoroughly endearing.' * Otago Daily Times * 'A great narrative, descriptively Australian, wonderful characters, and a series I intend to follow.' * Good Reading * 'Lapse...called out for a sequel. Now we have it in White Throat...[Thornton's] presentation of different viewpoints is noteworthy. She does not allow her intelligent, curious protagonist to be one-eyed, and she does not dumb down the public interest issues that coexist with her story's audacious action sequences and broad humour.' * Australian *